Method of treating artificial fuels



25, I928, magma H. E. WETHERBEEJ METHOD OF TREATING ARTIFICIAL FUELS Filed 001;. 22, 1925 M MEX ATTQRN Patented ea 25, 192$.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HERBERT E. WETHERBEE, or CLEVELAND,

OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD T RIGH- ARD F. GRANT AND ONE-THIRD TO HOWARD M. HANNA, BOTH OF CLEVELAND,

OHIO.

METHOD or resume ARTIFICIAL" FUELS.

Application filed October 22, 1925. Serial No; 64,125.

My invention relates to improvements in method of treating and forming artificial fuels and to the resultant fuel produced thereby; the object of my invention being to produce a fuel from small sizes of anthracite or bituminous coals, lignite or other carbonaceous material, but preferably from varying small sizes of anthracite, which shall be commercially available for domestic and other use.

Hitherto, difficulty has been experienced in all briquctting processes, with which I am familiar, in getting a suitable binding materialin sufficiently intimate contact with the carbonaceous material preparatory to briquetting. This, in many processes, requires a thorough drying of the carbonaceous material, before the binder is applied, in order to remove the water coating adherent to the 2 carbonaceous material and thus enable the binder to make contact therewith. Such dry: ing requires special apparatus and adds materially to the cost of the operation.

It is apparent that a very small amount of suitable binding material, evenly distributed over carbonaceous material and in intimate contact therewith, should sufiice to firmly bind the carbonaceous material together upon briquettting. The fault with present proc-,

esses is that the method or methods used do not evenly distribute the binder over the carbonaceous material, requiring, therefore, an

excessive amount of binderin order to cover all the carbonaceous material and therefore unnecessarily increasing the cost.

Accordingly, I have directed my efforts to a method which will, first, bring suitable binding'material in intimate contact with carbonaceous material, without drying the 40 carbonaceous material,'thereby avoiding the expense of drying the carbonaceous material, and, second, will apply the binding material evenly and uniformly over the carbonaa ceous material thereby avoiding the expense of unnecessary binding material. m p

The spreading action of oil on water is well known. Even oils of great thickness and viscosity will spread almost indefinitely on water. It is also well known that oils even of great "thickness and viscosity will, upon agitation with water, break up into exceedingly small particles scattered throughout the Water.

have found that, if carbonaceous material is immersed in Water and if oil is put in or on the water and sufficient agitation of the Whole is had, the carbonaceous material and the oil will be held in suspension in or on the water and the agitation will enable the particles of carbonaceous material to make frequent and practically continuous contact with the thin films and small particles of oil. Since the carbonaceous material has a greater adhering power for oil than for water, the water adherent to the carbonaceous material will be displaced by an adherent film of oil. Any suitable mixing device or agitator may be used for this purpose. The coating operation progresses rapidly so that a minute film of oil forms over, each of the particles of carbonaceous material by almost immediate displacement of the water coating by the oil film, thereby forming a substantially uniform surface oil film on each particle of the carbonaceous material.

Therefore, it is entirely practicable at normal temperatures, toeput a thin, substantially uniform surface oilfilm upon carbona ceous material, even with oils of great thick ness and viscoslty, by agitation of the car bonaceous material and oil and water as here- 111 described, a result which cannot be obtamed byany other process.

I'have found that certain oils having the requisite binding qualities may be used as a binder under this method, notably the oxidizing or drying oils, or any oil that will thicken and form a potentially adherent film under atmospheric/action alone, or augnr.-nted by heat, ifde'sired, in. order to hasten t .ie action thereof Alist. of such oils includi s the various grades ofvlinseed oil', China-wood oil, cottonseed oil, menhaden oil, corn oil, soy bean oil, treated resin oil, asphalt oil or even coal tar products, etc.

I have also foundthat, in many cases, the binding action of the oil is strengthened and augmented by mixing with or using with theoil other suitable binding material or materials. such as dext-rine, resin, etc. In many cases this mixture or use enables me to obtain satisfactory results with the use of less oil than would otherwise be required. This mixture or use of other binding materials with the oil may be accom Jlished in two Ways- First. lvlixing therother binding material run 'material with a bath containing such other binding material or materials. In this case the other binding material or materials will be taken out of the bath by the adherent actionof the oil film for the other binding material or materials and will then be available for briquetting along with the oil film to strengthen and augment the binding power of the oil film.

I have also found that many oils, and other liquids not classed as oils, which have the requisite adherent quality to the carbonaceous material but which have little or no binding power, may be used as solvents for binding materials and the resultant solution utilized in the same manner as an oil wit-h binding qualities; for example, asphalt in solvent naphtha, etc.

Any excess Water remaining after the ad herent film has been formed on the carbonaceous material is then drained off and the product may be introduced immediately to a briquetting machine for producing briquettes of any desired size. These briquettes preferably are subjected to a moderate heating or drying action in order to hasten production and insure oxidation or solidifying of the oil film or binder and the elimination of readily volatile matter therefrom, thereby obtaining satisfactory adhesion of the mass.

While I have above instanced the use of suitable oils and binding material for practicing my invention, I do not wish to be understood as necessarily limiting the same to the drying or semi-drying oils and binding material mentioned, since the same contemplates the use of any oils suitable for this purpose, either alone or in suitable admixture with other oils or binding material or materials, or any suitable fiuid binder of negligible miscibility with water or any suitable binder in solution in a fluid of negligible miscibility With Water, that will produce potentially adherent film under the conditions of using the. immersed carbonaceous material without artificial drying, andtreating the same and briquetting as above described.

I also call attention to the difiiculty which has heretofore been experienced in' using varying sizes of carbonaceous 'material, coarser than so-called anthracite culm, for briquetting because proper adhesion of these varying and irregular sizes could not be satisfactorily obtained and such efforts as have beenmade along these lines resulted in a fuel that was commercially unsatisfactory, where as, under my improved process herein described, this difficulty is completely and satisfactorily overcome. i

I have shown somewhat diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings one means for the rotatable cylinder 0 is mounted on stub-- shafts s, rotatably supported by the'standards s and actuated by the gear 9. WVithin the cylinder there are provided a plurality of baiiies Z) which are adapted to elevate the fuel particle's f above the level of the water to and its surface coating a of agglutinating material, through which the fuel particles are-permitted to fall as the cylinder is rotated.

The contents may be supplied by means of the'chute 0 when the hand-hole h is rotated to the upper position shown in Fig. 2; this opening thereupon being tightly closed to permit of the agitation ofthe contents when the cylinder is fully charged.

Obviously, upon rotating the 7 cylinder, thorough agitation of the contents is effected, the comminuted material or fuel f being carried up by the bafiies and dropped through and agitated with the surface coating a of agglutinating material for the purpose of enabling the particles of carbonaceous material to make frequent and practically con-- tinuous contact with the thin films and small particles of oil distributed on and throughout the water thereby, and effecting an even distribution of the agglutinating' material ElIITIHIIEglIOUfJ the mass of the finely sub-divided It will be understood, of course, that the proportions in the drawing, and particularly, the stratum a of agglut-inating material, are merely illustrative, and do not represent operating conditions, relative quantities or volumes, and sizes of'parts.

As a formula exemplifying the practice of my improved process, I may state that with a given. quantity of the finer breaker products of anthracite, comprising roughly a major imbeddingcontent of culm and twenty per cent (20%) each of No l, 2 and 3 buckwheat, for exa'mple,--I combine from approximately one half of one per cent to approximately two and one half per cent, by weight, according to the binding characteristics of the binding material used, by treatment as here in described, and thereby produce a briquette of satisfactory strength and burning qualities at a comparatiyely low cost.

It is my understanding that the oxidized or solidified oil binders will burn approxi-,

-Second.-Even and continuous distribution of the binding material on the carbonaceous material in intimate contact therewith, thereby requiring the use of a minimum amount of binding material and saving the expense of additional and unnecessary binder required under other methods and processes;

Third.Making it commercially practicable to use varying sizes of carbonaceous material.

- Accordingly, the briquettes produced in accordance with my instant improvement are lowin cost while satisfying every commercial requirement.

Having now described the preferred procedure for practicing my instant invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, together with such modifications as to procedure, proportions and ingredients used, as may be supplied by one ordinarily skilled in the art, the following:

1. In a methodfor treating comminuted materials preliminary to briquetting the same, the step of subjecting the particles thereof while in moistened condition to'the action of a moisture displacing filming oil binder, substantially as set forth.

2.- The method of producing artificial fuel which consists in immersing sub-divided carbonaceous material in water, adding thereto a binding material productive of a potentially adherent film upon the particles of said carbonaceous material, agitating the same under theconditions herein described, draining off the excess water, and subjecting portions of the mass to pressure for inducing adhesion thereof, substantially as set forth.

3. The herein described method of treats ing particlesof carbonaceous material to insure adhesionthereof, which consists in im mersing the same in water inor on which has been placed asufficient amount of binding material that will-produce apotentially ad. herent film' on said carbonaceous material, agitating the same under the conditions hereindescnbed, draining off the excess water and subjecting bodies of the mass topressure to induce adhesion thereof, substantially as set forth.

4. The herein described method of treating particles of carbonaceous materials to insure adhesion thereof, which consists in immersing the same in water, in or on which has been placed a suflicient amount of agglu-.

tinating oil to produce a potentially adhercnt film on the carbonaceous material, agitating the same under the conditions herein described, draining off the excess water, and subjecting bodies of the mass to pressure to induce adhesion thereof, substantially as set forth.

5. The herein described method of treating comminuted fuels, which consists in immersing the fuel particles in water, spreading upon the surface of the water a thin stratum of agglut-inating material having negligible miscibility, causing the fuel particles to passthrough said stratum to effect filming thereof, draining off the excess water, and subjecting small masses of the fuel particles to pressure sufiicient to insure their adherence, substantially as set forth.

6. The herein described method of treatlng fuels, which consist in spreading upon the surface of a body of water, a small quan tity of filming agglutinating material,.having negligible miscibility, passing through the stratum of said material a quantity of carbonaceous material in finely divided and moistened condition, whereby the moisture is displacedfby a film of said agglutinating material, draining off the excess water and briquetting the carbonaceous material, substantially as set forth.

' 7. The herein descr1bed method of apply;

ing an agglutinating oxidizable .oil to subdivided fuel particles, .which consists in. spreading an oxidizable or potentiallysolidifying oil of negligible miscibility upon the surface of a body of water, passing the fuel particles through the thin-stratum of oil while in moistened condition to insure the filming action of the oil, draining off the excess water, b'riquetting the fuel particlesand oxidizing oigsolidifying the oil to Obtain the coalescencelpf the fuel particles, sustantially as set forth."

8. The herein described method of treat- 1 ing fuels, whichcons'ist's in immersing the sub-divided fuel in a fluid medium, adding to said fluid medium a small quantity of filming agglutinating oridizable oil, agitating thesub-divided fuel into contact with said agglutinat'ing material whereby a film is formed upon the particles thereof, draining off the water of immersion, and subjecting small masses of the treated sub-divided fuel to pressure, substantially asset forth.

9. The herein described method for coalescing irregular small sizes of anthracite and the like, which consists in treating a mass thereof in moistened condition with a suitable filming oxidizable oil binder to displace the water, and thereafterefi'ecting the drying or solidifying of said oil to insure its adherent action, substantially as setforth.

10. The herein described artificial fuel, comprising sub-divided carbonaceous material and a binder less than two (2%) per cent of the total weight thereof.

11. A briquette, comprising a body of comminuted material and a binder therefor less than two (2%) per cent of the total weight of said material filming the particles thereof.

12; The herein described artificial fuel, comprising sub-divided carbonaceous material and a binder not in excess of one (1%) percent of the total weight of the product.

13. The herein described artificial fuel, comprising varying small sizes of anthracite or the like coalesced by abincler not in excess of one and one-half (l percent of a filmed agglutinant, by weight.

14. The herein described artificial fuel, comprising a coalesced mass of carbonaceous material and its filmed agglutinant; the latter approximating one (1%) percent of the total weight. v

15. The herein described artificial fuel comprising coalesced carbonaceous material with a binder consisting primarily of less than two (2%) per cent of a filming agglutinating oil.

16. The herein described artificial fuel comprising coalesced carbonaceous material with a. binder consisting exclusively of a film-- ing agglut-ina-ting oil less than two )4.) per cent of the total weight thereof.

17. The herein described artificial fuel comprising Varying small sizes of coal products coalesced exclusively by. a filming oil binder approxiinatingone (1%) per cent of the total weight.

In testimony whereof I do now affix mv signature. 

